Page 34 - March 2005 The Game

34 The Game, March 2005 Your Thoroughbred Racing Community Newspaper
From Racing Boots to Skating Boots
Hastings Groom of the Month
Eldy Birnie
Eldy Birnie hails from Winnipeg where she learned about horses as a volunteer at trail rides. Eldy has worked at Roads End Farm since 1998. Favourite horse; Alfaari "Because, as a stud, I can trust him."
By Jackie Humber
The taste of competition and the thrill of victory came at an early age for Michelle Pepin. She was born in Mattawa, Ontario, 28 years ago and spent the winters of her youth skiing and snowshoeing on Mount Antoine and ice skating on outdoor ponds. “That’s what we did. Everyone skated on the ponds,”said Pepin.
In the summer she enjoyed riding horses of local farmers. “My moms co-worker had a farm with four or five horses, so I would ride my bike over there and he let me ride his horses. I would ride up and down old country roads and that’s pretty much how I learned to ride,” said Pepin.
Her adventurous spirit led her
to Sudbury Downs harness track
where her Uncle Charlie trained Standardbreds. “He’s great. I loved working with my uncle Charlie. He’s a good horseman. Mostly I would hang around and do some work in the stables,” said Pepin. It was during this time that young Michelle would learn the art of horsemanship and hard work. These skills would prove valuable to her later in life. “Hanging around the track is when I first started thinking about be a jockey. I must have been about six years old but I knew that’s what I wanted,” said Pepin.
After graduating high school in 1994 Michelle attended Kemptville Agricultural College and studied Equine Studies. “I graduated from Kemptville in 1996 then I went back home to live with my mom and dad so I could save some money,”
It was during this time that her desire to become a jockey grew stronger and stronger. “Racing was in my blood, and I knew I wanted to be a jockey,” said Pepin.
Her brother Myles, who had also spent time work- ing with their uncle Charlie back at Sudbury Downs was now living out west and near a race track. Michelle decided to use her saved money and travel West to become a jockey. When she arrived in Richmond, BC she took a job at the city of Richmond
teaching skating lessons in the afternoons. Her brother knew there was a racetrack nearby but he wasn’t sure exactly where. “My brother told me there wasatrackdowntownsoIgotonabusandIwentto find it,” said Pepin.
It was the spring of 2000 and an enthusiastic Michelle showed up outside the gates of Hastings Racecourse. Her determination landed her a job as a groom.
Her small muscular frame was perfect for galloping so some trainers let her gallop a couple, but not many. “It was tough. No one was willing to take me under their wing. Some trainers did let me gallop a few, but they didn’t give me a chance to ride,” said Pepin. Michelle didn’t get discouraged; instead
she decided to try her luck in the interior circuit. She ended up at Sagebrush Downs in Kamloops. Finally in 2001 she had her first mount as an apprentice jockey. “I remember that race. It was scary but fun. The horse’s name was Manilla Girl. She had some speed. All I remember is I had a lot of fun,” said Pepin.
Michelle spent that fall racing in Vernon and Kamloops. When the season ended in the interior she headed back to Hastings. “The interior group always heads to Hastings after the meet. So I went with them,” said Pepin.
Michelle struggled at Hastings and she was finding it difficult to get enough mounts. “I had some races
there but not many,” said Pepin.
She headed back to the interior where there were more opportunities to ride. She spent that season and most of the next season riding in Kamloops.
Michelle was living her dream and having the time of her life. “I loved being a jockey. I loved the starting gate. It was so exciting. It’s such a rush,” said Pepin.
Michelle’s dream ended on a hot July afternoon in Kamloops in 2002. The horse she was riding had spooked and she went down. “I was on the inside and Rueben Solis was on the outside. We were riding
hard when we came around the last turn and my horse ducked. We think he ducked cause of the noise of the fair that was going on. Anyway I hit the rail and ended up in the hospital,” said Pepin. She remained in hospital for more than a week while the doctors tried to stop blood from clotting in her lungs.
The doctors informed her that she had a rare condition where blood clotted in her lungs making breathing difficult. “I had to take medication for a whole year. To stop the clotting. I hated that,” said Pepin.
When Michelle left the hospital she married her long time boyfriend Hanry.
“Hanry is a huge support for me. I always look up to him for support,” said Pepin.
Michelle had a strong desire to get back in the saddle, and she did return to racing for a couple of weeks. However the rigorous demand that racing has on jockeys lungs made it too difficult for her to continue. “It was really hard to breathe after my acci- dent and it still is sometimes,” she said.
Michelle decided to hang up her racing boots and put away her saddle.
She spent her time teaching ice-skating for the city of Richmond and also enjoyed playing on a womens hockey team.
Her fierce drive for competition led her to the sport of short track speedskating. Her small muscular frame that was perfect for riding was also perfect for speedskating. “I love speedskating. It’s so much fun. In riding you have to rely on the horse and other people but with skating it’s just me. I love the start of the race when the gun goes off. It’s great,” said Pepin.
Michelle has been speedskating for two seasons now and has already had some successes. “I compet- ed in my first season. I managed to race in all the competitions and I did pretty good. I’ve done pretty good this year too,”
Michelle insists she doesn’t miss the racetrack, just the horses‚.
“I really miss the horses, but speedskating has fulfilled my need to race. I still have my saddle, flack jacket and stick (whip) but I don’t think about riding,” she says.
Her husband Hanry is very supportive of her choices and helps with giving her advice. “Hanry’s great. He’s not only my husband, he’s my best friend and I always look to him for support. He’s great. He bought me new Maple blades for skating at Christmas. That helps a lot cause I want to make the Provincials,”
As for her immediate future Michelle still dreams of racing, but now it’s on skates and not horses.
Speedskater, Michelle Pepin, is seen here representing Canada in the Richmond Ice Arena during a “Five Year Countdown to the Olympics in Vancouver” event held February 13, 2005.The Olympic Speedskating oval is being built in Richmond.
Youth who love horses, prepare for EquiMania
Equine Guelph is proud to announce the inaugural EquiMania! event at the Can-Am Equine Expo, the largest education and trade show event in Ontario, at the new Agriplex, London, Ontario. This event is aimed at children from the London area and is scheduled for Saturday, March 19 from 10am to 2pm EquiMania! is a contest for young horse-lovers to test their knowledge of horse care and safety.
EquiMania! is part of Equine Guelph's new youth education program that also includes a soon to
be launched website. Other education programs are already in place for adults who want to learn
about horses (www.equinesciencecertificate.com).
Registration at the door on a first-come basis, as space is limited. If you would like to learn more about the Youth Education Initiative or would like to support this program through a financial donation, then please contact Gayle Ecker, Senior Manager, at 519-824-4120, ext. 56678 or e- mail: gecker@uoguelph.ca
Long time Fort Erie Horseman, Don Malyon, (known as Runner to his friends) passed away on Tuesday, December 28, 2004. Don was best known as a jocks agent. He worked at Blue Bonnets, Marquis Downs, Assiniboia Downs, Northlands Park, Hastings, Detroit, West Virginia and Fort Erie. When he wasn’t an agent he was often train- ing a horse for himself. He will be sadly missed by the racing community.
Obituary
Did You Know...
That according to an article in the Toronto Star, Eclipse Award winning owner Ken Ramsey, was suspended for a week and fined $25,000 (US) on
January 17 by the Kentucky Horse Racing Authority for attempting to pay another owner to scratch a horse.
A settlement was reached between Ramsey’s attorney and the racing authority, and Ramsey
acknowledged that he violated a state law which prohibits influencing any person to interfere with “the orderly conduct of a race or race meeting.”